Riverview High School Award STRIVE Recipients

Natalie Calero | Natalie Calero’s mom, Kim, had suffered from back pain for years, so her daughter and two sons didn’t think too much of it, last spring, when she started taking more days off work to rest. Her mom worked at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and with a busy schedule, being tired wasn’t unusual.

Kim’s back pain increased, though, and one day Natalie’s older brother found her in such discomfort that he drove her to the emergency room. The tests that followed revealed awful news: Natalie’s mom had stage 4 ovarian cancer.

Natalie’s advice to incoming freshmen: “Find a great support group… whether it’s a club or a teacher or a guidance counselor. There’s always someone there to help you… and they’re amazing people.”

Read her full STRIVE story.